Chapter 825


    Ning Ran tried her best to keep aposed exterior, pretending to be deaf. Nevertheless, she was


    actually seething inside.


    After the call ended, Nan Chen returned to his tasks at hand. He stayed focused and worked diligently


    until he could finish his tasks and clock out for the day.


    He had reserved a table for them at a Ferropenian restaurant.


    Ning Ran preferred hotpot, but since Nan Chen had already made the reservation for their dinner, she


    chose not to say anything and decided to go along with his decision.


    Nan Chen had previously suggested that they should take the children to higher-ss restaurants more


    frequently to help widen their worldviews and develop their characters.


    Being a part of the Nan family meant that the children could no longer simply frequent kids'' cafes and


    hotpot restaurants.


    Nan Chen thought that Ning Ran should go to hotpot restaurants on her own if she had a craving for it.


    There was no need for her to expose the kids to rowdy environments.


    He preferred if Erbao could broaden her horizons. Money should never be a constraint when ites


    to educating a girl. He was determined to ensure she did not remain unrefined and uncultured.


    Nan Chen ordered four set meals, two for the children and two for the adults. He also ordered a bottle


    of wine to apany the meal.


    Their dishes were being served when Nan Chen''s phone rang.


    He retrieved it and walked aside to answer the call.


    Ning Ran paid attention to his conversation and seemed to hear the name “Zhiyi” again.


    However, she remained calm. Zhiyi is something else, huh? She must have a special connection with


    Nan Chen to be able to call his private number, one that is typically only used by family members.


    Nan Chen soon returned to his seat and ced his phone aside. He then left to wash his hands and


    sat down. Right when he was about to enjoy his meal, his phone rang again.


    It was Zhiyi again.


    Nan Chen grabbed his phone and went aside to answer the call.


    After the call ended, he went to wash his hands again. He had already begun to cut into his steak when


    his phone suddenly rang again.


    Ning Ran could no longer contain her thoughts and spoke out. “Perhaps you should take care of your


    business first before eating. It''s going to get cold.”


    Nan Chen''s hand froze midair before he could reach for his phone. An awkward expression crossed his


    face.


    Both Dabao and Erbao stopped eating, their gazes darting between Ning Ran and Nan Chen.


    “It''s about work,” Nan Chen said sheepishly.


    “I know it''s work. That was why I said you should take care of your business.” Ning Ran softened her


    voice as it urred to her that she had spoken impulsively.


    “Forget it. I''m not taking any more calls. Let''s eat!”


    To Ning Ran''s surprise, Nan Chen didn''t lose his temper. He was ying along with her as the kids


    were present.


    “Mommy, don''t be mad,” Erbao said timidly.


    The children were fearful at the prospect of their parents getting into a fight, as they would feel


    completely powerless in the situation.


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    “I''m not mad. I just feel guilty that Daddy has to take out time to have dinner with us despite his hectic


    schedule,” Ning Ran exined.


    Her words were obviously a lie. Nan Chen frowned but didn''t say anything.


    Erbao was oblivious, but Dabao could sense that his mother was unhappy.


    He knew it was rted to the calls his father had answered.


    After Nan Chen took a few bites, his phone rang again.


    This time, he hesitated visibly.


    “You should answer it since it''s about work. I''m fine with it,” Ning Ran said.


    She wasn''t saying that to spite him. Instead, she regretted her impulsive words from earlier and wanted


    him to answer the call.


    “Okay. Let me take this.”


    Nan Chen took his phone and walked away. The callsted for around ten minutes.


    After the call ended, he slowly turned around and shot his family an apologetic look. “It was something


    rted to work, I swear.”


    “Daddy, didn''t you clock off earlier? Why are you still needed at work?” Erbao asked after cing her


    fork down.


    “That was an overseas call. Ourpany has recently been listed overseas and has be the


    target of short-sellingpanies that released false information in an attempt to damage our


    reputation. Tobat this and to restore our investors'' faith in ourpany, we decided to invite a


    third-party audit firm to investigate our finances and other relevant aspects of our business. The person


    in charge of this project is an old friend of mine, and I knew she had put in a lot of hard work by staying


    up till the early hours every day. I feel obliged to answer her calls, as I knew how much effort she was


    putting in.”


    It seemed that Nan Chen was exining the situation to Erbao, but his exnation was actually meant


    for Ning Ran.


    Ning Ran didn''t know much about the corporate world, but her mother used to operate apany.


    Ning Ran also majored in economics and knew some basic concepts.


    Foreign short-sellingpanies had often been known to spread false reports about Chinese


    companies that had gone into international markets. This malicious tactic involved the release of


    fabricated news stories, and then taking advantage of the resulting dip in share prices by short-selling


    thepany''s stocks.


    Some reports were true, while some were fake.


    To demonstrate that the reports were false, the victim would need to either conduct their investigation


    or hire an external audit firm to review theirpany. Using the results of this audit, they would be able


    to refute the ims made by the short-sellingpanies in their reports.


    If thepany in question did not take any proactive measures, short-selling firms would likely be the


    ones to initiate action, resulting in a sense of unease among investors that could result in them all


    following suit. This would be a disastrous oue for the firm, as it could lead to a massive financial


    loss.


    Ning Ran was fully aware that this was an issue of great importance.


    However, her main point wasn''t work, but the friend Nan Chen mentioned.


    It was a “she,” so it was clearly a female.


    Thisdy wasn''t just a colleague. If they were just colleagues, she wouldn''t keep calling Nan Chen''s


    private number.


    Besides, Nan Chen''s subordinates would usually handle such matters. He didn''t have to go through


    everything himself.


    If Nan Chen had to handle minor details such as coordinating with the audit firm, he would be


    overwhelmed by the amount of work.


    It was a work matter, but Nan Chen took it seriously likely because of the woman involved.


    The more Ning Ran pondered over the matter, the more annoyed she got.


    As Ning Ran was silent, Nan Chen didn''t bother starting a conversation.


    Fortunately, Nan Chen was spared from further phone calls from Zhiyi. Perhaps he had told her he was


    in the middle of having dinner, so she felt embarrassed and stopped calling him.


    Another possibility was that she had gone to bed. Despite working till the wee hours of the morning,


    she still needed to rest.


    The family continued their dinner. However, Erbao felt uneasy as the atmosphere was pretty tense.


    She loved having a good time and being in a rxed environment, so the absence of sound was stifling


    to her.


    “Daddy, Mommy, I learned a dance at school today. Let me show you!” Erbao eximed as she jumped


    off her chair, ready to showcase her dancing skills.


    She was trying to lighten the mood by suggesting dancing during dinner.


    “You can''t go dancing until you''ve finished your meal,” Ning Ran answered with a chuckle.


    “I''m done eating. Now, it''s time for me to give you and Daddy a performance. I''m sure you''ll be


    delighted to watch me dance while you enjoy your meal. If I do a good job, then order a dessert for


    me,” Erbao said as she licked her lips.


    Oh, she''s not done eating yet but wants some dessert.


    Erbao started dancing.


    Nan Chen ced his utensils down and watched her attentively.


    It was a simple dance, but Erbao made it captivating.


    When the dance came to an end, Nan Chen pped his hands. “Good job!”


    “Is it? I only started learning today. I can do better after practicing more!” Erbao responded


    enthusiastically.


    “Yes. Erbao is the best dancer at school!” Dabao affirmed.


    “It looks like my daughter has a talent for dancing. Should I get you a professional dance teacher to


    teach you how to dance?”


    “No. I''m going to be an actress just like Mommy. I won''t dance,” Erbao rejected that offer immediately.


    “Sure. You can do whatever you want. I''ll order a dessert for you,” Nan Chen said adoringly.


    “Thanks, Daddy. I want arge one!” Erbao returned to her seat happily, as her n had worked.


    Something was weighing on Ning Ran''s mind. Even though Erbao tried her best to interact with her,


    she seemed uninterested. They all went home after dinner ended on a tense note.


    Nan Chen entered the study room and continued clearing his emails.


    Usually, Ning Ran would brew some coffee for him, but as she was in a foul mood that day, she didn''t


    even bother making him instant coffee.


    Nan Chen needed coffee to work, and he wouldn''t have trouble falling asleep even after taking caffeine


    at night.


    After working for a bit, he had no choice but toe out to brew some coffee himself.


    He was thoroughly dissatisfied, as he had noticed Ning Ran''s cold attitude.


    The following morning, Ning Ran woke up early as she had to participate in filming a show.


    To her surprise, Nan Chen was already awake. He had just returned from his morning run.


    Despite bumping into each other in the living room, they didn''t say a word.


    Ning Ran started preparing breakfast. Soon, Dabao and Erbao woke up.


    The house became lively once they woke up.


    During breakfast, Ning Ran mentioned that she would have to remain at the studio until the day after


    tomorrow. Someone else would have to take responsibility for getting the children to and from school.


    “Mr. Qiao will pick you kids up after school. I''ll be busy,” Nan Chen said.


    “Okay,” Dabao and Erbao replied obediently.


    After breakfast, Nan Chen and Ning Ran sent the kids to school.


    Nan Chen only drove away after the teacher led the kids inside.


    “If you''re busy, you don''t have to drive me there. I can take a taxi to Star Entertainment to meet up with


    Ou and the rest,” Ning Ran said.


    “I have a question for you. What did you promise Ruan Anxi? Why did he agree to release Ning


    Ziqiang?”


    Nan Chen had been dying to know the answer for a long time but only came around to ask the question


    now.


    Back when she talked to Ruan Anxi, Qiao Zhan wasn''t around. She assumed Nan Chen had no idea of


    the incident. However, Nan Chen was smart enough to guess that they hade to an agreement.


    It was actually a simple condition. Ning Ran had to eat with Ruan Anxi twice a month.


    Eating together wasn''t a big deal, but Ning Ran felt that it was strange for her to eat with someone of


    the opposite sex periodically. It felt a bit ambiguous.


    Ning Ran couldn''t bring herself to say it out loud or tell Nan Chen about it.


    Now that Nan Chen had brought up the topic, she wasn''t sure if he had discovered something or was


    merely making a simple inquiry.


    She deliberated whether or not to tell him the truth.


    Nan Chen took in her hesitance, and his suspicions grew.


    No matter how harshly Qiao Zhan had tried to intimidate Ruan Anxi, thetter had remained steadfast


    in his resolve to onlymunicate with Ning Ran. He had adamantly refused to speak with anyone


    else.


    After Ning Ran met him, Ruan Anxi changed and released Ning Ziqiang and his wife.


    Nan Chen had been suspecting Ruan Anxi and Ning Ran hade to an agreement.


    He had asked Qiao Zhan, but Qiao Zhan had no idea what it was.


    Nan Chen knew Ruan Anxi well enough to know that he would definitely make a ridiculous demand.


    “Won''t you tell me about it?” Nan Chen asked icily.


    “Oh, it was nothing. I didn''t want to keep it a secret from you, but his request was weird. I didn''t want


    you to misunderstand us,” Ning Ran said guiltily.


    “What do you mean?”


    “H-He promised to release them if I agree to eat with him frequently.”


    Feeling troubled, Ning Ran told him that they would have to eat together frequently instead of eating


    together twice a month, hoping Nan Chen would find that more eptable.


    s, he still couldn''t ept it. His gaze turned cold after he heard her exnation.


    What the f*ck? How dare that thug force my woman to eat with him? He''s insulting me! Why did Ning


    Ran agree to eat with him?


    “You said yes?”


    Hearing his tone, Ning Ran knew he was upset.


    “I was focused on saving them. Besides, Qiao Zhan said if Ruan Anxi remains in custody, it may cause


    a diplomatic conflict, so I decided to say yes for now. I—”


    “Why did you agree without asking me?” Nan Chen interjected.


    “I...” Ning Ran didn''t know how to exin herself. “Back then, I—”


    “I know. You think that has nothing to do with me, right?”


    “No! I said yes to solve the problem. I didn''t think that much.”


    Nan Chen gave off an intimidating aura when he was mad. Ning Ran felt so stressed out that she could


    barely breathe.


    She had already felt guilty from the start, so when Nan Chen questioned her, she acted as though she


    had done something wrong.


    “Don''t you know what kind of person he is? How could you agree to his request? If you give him your


    word and then fail to keep it, do you think he''ll forgive you easily? If you do it, then what is this? Are you


    seriously going to eat with an evil person? Have you ever considered my reputation?” Nan Chen


    roared.


    His fury merely served to increase Ning Ran''s anxiety.


    However, she believed that she had not done anything wrong. Under the circumstances, she had no


    choice but to give Ruan Anxi her word.


    “Yes, you''re Sir Chen, so your reputation matters. I had no other choice back then. I''ve already given


    him my word, so it''s useless for you to yell at me...”


    Before she could finish, Nan Chen''s phone suddenly rang.


    Nan Chen was driving, so his phone was connected to the Bluetooth system.


    However, he didn''t answer the call. Ning Ran nced at the caller ID and realized it was Zhiyi again.


    She helped him answer the call, and a woman''s voice rang out. “Good morning, Nan Chen.”


    Ning Ran immediately realized something was off. Did she just call Nan Chen by his name? I rarely


    hear anyone calling him by his name. This woman is the first person I''ve heard do so. How are they


    rted? Why does she get to call him by his given name?


    “Good morning, Zhiyi,” Nan Chen greeted as the call was already answered.


    “I''ve just arrived in Horbah. I''m going to rest for a bit at the hotel before taking a flight to Flower City.


    Remember toe to the airport to pick me up,” the woman said.


    Right. During breakfast, Nan Chen said he has something to do in the afternoon and cannot pick the


    kids up from school. As it turns out, his engagement for the day is not rted to work. Instead, he is


    going to pick up this woman.


    “Okay. Got it,” came Nan Chen''s answer.


    “I''m excited to see you soon. It''s been a while since west met,” Zhiyi said. Her words sounded


    ambiguous.


    Ning Ran wasn''t deaf nor a fool. The intimacy in Zhiyi''s words didn''t go unnoticed by her.


    She wanted nothing more than to reprimand Zhiyi for being shameless, but Nan Chen had already told


    her that Zhiyi was the person in charge of the third-party audit firm in coboration with Nanshi


    Corporation.


    Despite brimming with fury, she knew she had to tamp down her anger so she would not embarrass


    Nan Chen.


    “Yes, we haven''t met for some time. I''m driving. We''ll talkter. Bye!” Nan Chen ended the call.


    “Stop the car!” Ning Ran said coldly.


    “Why? We''re not there yet.”


    “Stop the car. I''d like to get out now,” Ning Ran said loudly.


    “Zhiyi is my friend. Herpany is working with us to evaluate and audit Nanshi Corporation''s listed


    companies overseas—”


    “I want to get out!” Ning Ran screamed.